


Walls Come Down

by Thebiwife



Category: ER (TV 1994)
Genre: 2020ERGiftExchange, Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, Post-Canon, Season/Series 11, Unfinished
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28204203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thebiwife/pseuds/Thebiwife
Summary: What takes place between Abby & Susan immediately after the episode 'Skin', my 2020 Secret Santa Gift Fic for wonderwanda
Relationships: Susan Lewis & Abby Lockhart
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Susan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wonderwanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderwanda/gifts).



It’s hard enough to assert yourself when Kerry Weaver is your predecessor, let alone when the near majority of your underlings are damn near incompetent. I don’t know how _I_ was as an intern, damn, Mark and I were far too close for him to be too _honest_ about that, but I can’t have had a stitch on this year’s intake.

So what do we have? Wannabe rock star Ray Barnett; too cool (to teach) school Greg Pratt; Morris whose attitude is as inflammatory as his hair color; and well, Neela ‘perfect at procedure, poor with patients’ Rasgotra. None of them are likely to bring our patient feedback scores up beyond the piss-poor 2.4 average we have recently _risen_ to.

And then there’s Abby, whose rapport with patients is exemplary given her years in nursing, whose motivation is second to none, whose only downfall is, perhaps, _not believing in herself._

Or perhaps not feeling that anyone else believes in her either.

One conversation with her about accurate charting and she disappears all night.


	2. Abby

As soon as he’d asked me to lie down in the back of the truck I thought it was over.

Though I thought I could hear the El, and there were definitely other cars and voices outside, I could have been anywhere. Who knew what these guys were capable of?! In their territory I’m sure I could’ve been as good as dead.

And yet I step out of the vehicle to see the familiar sight of that Ambulance Bay, mere feet from where they had taken me hours earlier. How many hours I couldn’t say, it could’ve been two or ten, I couldn’t say. The mental and physical exhaustion from trying to revive that guy had completely overwhelmed me. 

To see the hospital that had become my home before me seemed too good to be true. 


	3. Susan

I had finally chased Spivak away for what must have been the...third, fourth? time, when I saw a familiar shivering figure in scrubs at the end of the Ambulance bay.

"Abby!? Did you get my message!?" I yelled towards her, before she turned to face me directly and I saw what looked like bloodstains all down her. "Abby?" I said again as I moved towards her, trying to soften my voice so she knew I wasn't angry with her as I picked up speed. "Are you ok???"

As I reached her she near collapsed into my arms. "Abby, talk to me, are you bleeding?"

She didn't reply as she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Abby? Do I need to check you over?"

"No," she said between sobs. "I just need...I was kidnapped..."

"You were _kidnapped?!_ Abby, please, let me check you over."

"No, I just want to go home..."


	4. Neela

I had _just_ arrived home when there was a buzz to be let in the front door. I'd been pacing since I got back, realising that if Abby _wasn't_ home, and _wasn't_ answering her page, she had probably...I don't even know.

Neither Carter nor Luka seemed to think the conversation she'd had with Susan would've been enough to cause her to fall off the wagon.

"Neela, it's me," Susan said in a pained voice through the intercom.

"She's not here," I said back.

"I know, she's here with me..."


	5. Susan

Has it been anyone but Abby I'd found covered in blood in the freezing cold of night, the first thing I would've insisted on would've been a drink. A large one.

As we entered through her door and were met by Neela, whose first instinct was to hug her but who hesitated as soon as she saw the state of Abby's clothes, I hovered awkwardly not sure what to do now.

"I'm gonna take a shower," Abby sighed, clearly exhausted. 

"Right. I'll get the kettle on," Neela nodded, trying to be helpful and springing into helpful-hostess mode.

I followed slowly behind Abby towards her bathroom, a floorboard creaking as I slowly pushed open the bathroom door.

"Susan!?" she glared at me, grasping her clothes to herself, attempting to slam the door but unable to as I stood in the doorframe.

"I've seen it all before, Abby. I just want to make sure you're ok. You're sure you don't need...do we need to do a _rape kit_ ," I whispered.

"No," she said bluntly. "None of this blood is even mine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Susan, now please, I'm fine. Let me shower in peace."

I dodged backwards allowing her to slam the door in front of me.

I sighed.

"Tea, Susan?" Neela called from the kitchen.

"Do you have anything stronger?" I called back.


	6. Abby

After getting out of the shower I merely stood staring at myself in the mirror for five minutes or so until the steam around me settled, condensation clouding my reflection.

"Tea, Abby?" Neela said, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Sure, yeah," I muttered back, putting on the first clothes I could find that _weren't_ what I'd been wearing tonight. Neela's long-sleeved Rugby shirt and a pair of sweatpants that were probably dirty, but I didn't really care.

Back in the living room Susan was sitting sipping on something that looked like a Bailey's, the only alcohol Neela had, a gift from her parents when they'd visited around Graduation.

Susan's hand hovered over my cigarettes on the coffee table as she made eye contact with me. I nodded, "but if you're having one, I'm having one too. Then I'd best be getting to bed, supposed to be in at 8."

"No you're not," Susan said, lighting up the cigarette and shaking her head. "You're not coming in, Abby."

"I can't end up behind..."

"You won't. Take a few days, call it compassionate leave."

I pulled a face.

"I'll suspend you if I have to, for going AWOL during shift."

"Fine," I sighed, taking the cigarettes and lighter from her.

"I'm sorry, um, _I'm_ still in at 8," Neela said quietly. "You guys are sitting where I sleep..."

Susan began to gather her things, cigarette posed awkwardly in her mouth. "I'm sorry..."

"No, it's ok. Um, Neela, take my room. Just for tonight."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, and gave her an awkward hug goodnight as she headed into my room.

I sat back down next to Susan on the sofa, taking another drag of my cigarette.

"So, _do you_ want to talk?" she asked.

I shook my head, putting down my cigarette against the ashtray. 

I curled up my legs beneath me, laying my head in her lap.

And I cried.


End file.
